Intersections: Surveillance, Propaganda, and Just War

Intersections: Surveillance, Propaganda, and Just War

Judith Allen

Publisher:

Liverpool University Press

DOI:10.5949/liverpool/9780990895800.003.0002

This essay explores varied modes of “surveillance,” “propaganda,” and “just war theory,” terms that involve diverse aspects of control (political, economic, cultural, and social) facing us today. Virginia Woolf’s writings are analysed in the context of the founding of public relations by Edwards Bernays, propaganda and surveillance during World War I, the manufacturing of consent, and the politics of language. Finally, this essay argues for the relevance of Woolf’s work to understanding the US government’s vilification and punishment of whistle-blowers such as Edward Snowden—especially those who have exposed unconstitutional acts of torture and surveillance.

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